Wheel for common road-vehicles.



G. E. DOYLE az e. BARDEN.

WHEEE` FOR COMMON ROAD VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FLED MAR. 5,. 9I4.

Patented June 1, 1915.

nnrran araras! Araruna* omaha.

GEORGE EDWAEJJ DOYLE, or sYDNEY, ANDV GEORGE BARDEN, or NEWTOWN, unas sYDNEY, NEW soUrH WALES, AUsTEALIA.

WHEEL FOR COI/[MON ROAD-VEI-IICLES.

To all whom it may comem: i

Be it known that we, GEORGE EDWARD DOYLE and GEORGE BARDEN, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing, respectively, at 19 Shepherd' street, Sydney, in the State of New South'Wales, Australia, and 28 Richardstreet, Newtown, near Sydney aforesaid, havesinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheels for Common Road-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. p V

Our invention relates to wheels for common road Vehicles, and in particular to spring wheels of the type in which the outer part of the wheel (comprising the rim, felly and spokes) has limited freedom of motion radially and rotationally in relation to the hub.

According to this invention the spokes or equivalent parts of the wheel are set in Va collar which is contained within cheeks or flanges 'on the hub, So as to be-freely movable thereinV rotationally and radially, but notA laterally. This collar contains a group of cylindrical pockets axially parallel with the hub, each of which pockets accommodates a plurality of Spiral Springs. Through the eye of each spring a thimble is threaded; a bolt is passed through each thimbleand the ends of these bolts are mounted in the hub flanges. The concentricity of the felly and rim with the hub and axle is maintained resiliently by the group of Spiral springs, and these Springs also operate to permit limited rotational movement of the spokes and felly relatively to the hub, and to bufier the drive and brake stresses. A free but limited floating motion of the outer relatively to the central part of the wheel is thus permitted, but the wheel 'is laterally supported in the close sliding fit of the spoke collar and the hub flanges. In practice, from eight to ten pockets are provided, symmetrically disposed about the wheel center to carry the spiralsprings, and in each of these pockets a plurality of similar Spiral Springs (preferably three Springs) are set side by side in the manner beforementioned.

In the accompanying explanatory drawings, Figure 1 is an elevational end view of the hub and its flanges showing a sector of one of the hub flanges cut away; Fig. 2 is a half horizontal section and plan corresponding with Fig. 1.

The method of tenoning or otherwise seratemzea June i, iai.

Application filed March 5, 1914. Serial No. 822,561.

curing the spoke roots in the collar is immaterlal to the invention. JWire, wooden, or metal Spokes may be used suitably mounted in or attached to the collar, following existmg practice in connection with other types of wheel` already in use.

The hub A which ismounted on the axle B is formed with an integral flange C. The cover cheek plate or flange D is spigoted at d on the outer part of the hub A and is through bolted to the flange C by bolts E passed through spacing thimbles F which maintain the flanges C and D apart with proper clearance between them for the Spoke collar G. VVhen drive is to be applied to the wheel through the axle, the end of the aXle may be squared or castellated as shown at B', or the aXle may be fixed to the hub A by a key.

A :H is a castellatecl back nut by means of which the wheel is secured upon the aXle.

J is an axle cap, the flange of which may be conveniently pinned at j to the face of the flange D.

When the wheel is to be a free running wheel, the squared end B, or the key or other attachment for securing the axle to the hub A, is omitted and the hub permitted to run directly on the aXle or on ball bearings carried on the axle,not shown in the drawings.

The flanges D and G inclose a clear annular space K which accommodates the Spoke collar G. This collar contains a group of cylindrical pockets L arranged Symmetrically in relation to the hub A and anially parallel thereto. In practice eight to twelve such pockets are ordinarily used, but a greater or less number may be used without departing from the invention. Each of the pockets L accommodates a plurality of Spiral wound Springs M; in practice it is preferred to fit three such Springs in Vparallel arrangement in each pocket as Shown clearly in Fig. 2, and to set a spacing washer N between said Springs so as to allow working clearance for the movement of the Spoke collar G in relation to the through bolts E. The eyes of the Springs M being carried on the spacing thimbles F and their outer parts taking in the pockets L, operate to maintain radial and rotational positioning of the Spoke collar G in relation to the hub A, but the flexure of the Springs within the limit of movement allowed by the size of the pockets L permits a certain radial and rotational freei be, to the wheel.

cushion road shocks.

dom of the spoke collar G in relation to the hub A. Consequently road shocks are not transmitted directly Vfrom the spokes to the axle. These shocks are cushioned by the Springs M, While similarly driving and braking stresses are also cushioned, with the result that driving and braking effects are softened. The pockets L as shown are tubes tightly fitted in the spoke collar Gr and each fiXed to it by rivets or by autogenous welding; these tubes may also be welded together where they touch thereby to make the system of pocket tubes rigid with the collar G.

The brake drum or a chain driving sprocket may be mounted on the outer face of the flange O for the purpose of applying braking and driving force, as the case may The construction described provides an efiective means whereby the outer part of the wheel is free to float radially and rotationally within the' limit of motion permitted by the Springs in relation to the Wheelvhub and the aXle, a

cushion drive and cushion brake effect be-V ing' obtained while the wheel acts also to Furthermore the construction is such that the resilient motion of the relatively moving parts is not afir'ected materially by intrusion of Water and road grit. Y

The pockets L maybe cored in the collar G, or theymay be constituted of tubular ate tachments mounted in said collar as abovel described or they may be pockets in the collar G bushed with metal. The stifness copies of this patent may be obtained for :five ce'nts each, by adre y integral flange an annular space, a spokecollar arranged in saidtspace and free to move relatively to said -hub both radially and circumferentially, cylindrical casings circularly Varranged in said spoke 'collar at an equal distance from said hub Vand substantially of the* same width asfthe said spoke collar, a plurality of flat `spiral Springs disposed side by side within each of said casings, spacing washers between adja- V cent Springs in each' casing, bolts` connecting said flanges and supporting the inner ends of said springs, thimbles surrounding said boltsfor spa'cing said flanges anda wheel rim supported by said spoke collar. o

In testimony whereof we have afiixed our signatures in presence .of two witnesses.

GEORGEV 'EDWARD DOYLE A p c GEORGE lvAnRDjErlq. f i V Witnesses:

W. J. DAvIs,-. :f S. BECK.

Washington, D. Q.'f

ssing the Commiasionei` of Patente. g 

